


tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense

by whatdoiknowx



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-30 01:04:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13939266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatdoiknowx/pseuds/whatdoiknowx
Summary: Phil hasn't been sleeping well lately.





	tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the phandomficfests napping challenge.

Phil hadn't been sleeping well. He'd hardly been sleeping at all. Dan could tell he was tired, weary down to his bones. It wasn't the same kind of tired Dan sometimes got, the kind of tired where he couldn't sleep but wasn't quite awake, stuck in the middle where his thoughts ran around in circles, never quite settling, his brain never quite focusing.

Phil got a different kind of tired, an exhaustion, where he got too overwhelmed with the world around him, anxiety setting deep from the worries of too many things to do and not enough time to do them. 

It had been a long week. Meeting after meeting about tour stuff. Phone calls to be made. Emails to be answered. Phil had taken on the brunt of it the past week, Dan busy working through his own demons.

Dan was feeling better now, was back on top of that wave that he knew would eventually sink back down - it was okay though, because he knew the waves would come and go, but the tide would always rise. He had the tools he needed not to sink down to the bottom of the ocean, his support network like an oxygen mask helping him breathe until he breached above water on his own.

Phil was struggling now, though. Dan could see it, saw him rub at his temples, saw his shoulders drop heavily after being tensed up during a difficult phone call, saw him bite at his lip and blink back tears. Phil was stressed. It was the tour planning and the difficulty with finalizing venue and travel plans, and all the other small but tedious tasks that made up their daily work. 

But it was Dan, too. Dan knew it had been a difficult couple of weeks, that the mess he'd made and his mental state in general had been really hard on Phil. Phil was always the one to keep it together in front of their audience, to do the hard work and carry the weight on his shoulders behind the scenes, keeping up a more positive disposition onscreen.

Dan knew better than to feel guilt these days, knew they were a team and that Phil didn't mind shouldering a heavier load at times. They took turns leaning on each other, took turns being each other's rock.

It was Dan's turn now. They had returned home in the early evening from yet another meeting, and they were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching mindless television. Phil was staring at the television, but Dan could see his mind was somewhere else. He had exchanged his contacts for glasses as soon as they arrived home, but Dan could still see him rubbing at his temples, slouched back on the couch. His eyes were nearly bloodshot, from lack of sleep and from rubbing them constantly throughout the day; Dan was pretty sure Phil had also let a few tears slip out on the ride home, but he had turned his head away, not wanting Dan to see.

At the next advert break, Dan put his hand on Phil's thigh to get his attention. "Head massage?" he asked, simply. 

Phil nodded, and Dan scooted down a little on the couch and patted his lap. Phil adjusted so that he was laying down with his head on Dan's lap. 

Dan threaded his fingers through Phil's hair, and he heard Phil let out a shaky breath. A few tears fell and dampened Dan's lap. Dan wiped at the tears softly, then moved his hand back to massage Phil's temple. 

"Shh," he hummed quietly, working his hand along Phil's scalp. A couple more tears fell, but Dan wasn't worried. This was good. Phil needed to let his emotions out, give himself completely over to Dan. Dan knew how to make him feel safe, like none of his worries were too much to handle. 

He continued to massage Phil's head in silence, carding his fingers through Phil's hair gently, and kneading into the points of tension. Eventually, he felt Phil's body go pliant, his breathing evening out. Dan glanced down to see Phil's eyes closed, his face relaxed and serene for the first time in the past couple of weeks. 

Dan smiled to himself, leaning down to press a quick kiss to the top of Phil's head, careful not to disrupt the sleep Phil was finally getting.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Beside You" by Marianas Trench


End file.
